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  • Please see the most recent updates in the "Where did the .com name go?" thread. Posts number 16 and 17.

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WIP: FSX Solomon 1943 -- long --

roger-wilco-66

roger-wilco-66

Administrator
Staff member
Guys,

well, somebody just had to do it.
After reading many books and researching, I started my first scenery design project and I'm about half way through.

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Outline[/FONT]


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]The Solomon Islands were the showplace of a huge effort of forces from the US, New Zealand and Australia to push back the Japanese movement towards the south Pacific and New Zealand. It is also the showplace of great despair, suffering and violent battles. After reading books like “Jolly Rogers”, “Baba Black Sheep” or “Black Cat Raiders” I started to fly over the Solomon in FSX to get a feeling of the area. In the beginning I was disappointed, because the landclass was way off and the mesh not at all like the real thing. FSGlobal mesh and third party landclass did some good corrections on that part, but now the meager or non existing airports started to annoy me. Thanks to [/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif]www.pacificwrecks.org[/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif] (please donate, Justin Taylan is doing some great work and without this information FSX Solomon 1943 would not have been possible) and ADE – airport design editor – I was able to do some vital corrections and additions here. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Most of my photographic reference data for the airfields date around the fall of 1943, so I chose the scenario to be around September 1943. The Americans had taken Vella Lavella already and were pounding Bougainville and Rabaul. The next airfield of the Japanese navy, [/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif]the Ballale airfield island off the coast of Bougainville, was knocked out already (left to "wither on the vine") and the two airfields on the south coast of Bougainville were badly damaged. [/FONT]


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Recommendations[/FONT]


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]I strongly suggest using a decent mesh for the area, like FSGlobal, FSGenesis or freeware. Also a correct landclass product is needed, the original FSX is horrible.[/FONT]


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Surprisingly, some of the nicest payware aircraft fit right into the scenario:[/FONT]


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Aerosoft PBY Catalina[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]A2A P47[/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif]-D Thunderbolt[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]A2A WOP A6M Zero[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]A2A WOP P40 Warhawk[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]A2A F4U1-D Corsair[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]A2A B17 Flying Fortress[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Vertigo Studios F6F Hellcat[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Vertigo Studios SBD Dauntless
Sky Unlimited / Aeroplane Heaven P38 Lightning[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]MAAM Sim C-47 Skytrain[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]MAAM Sim TBF Avenger[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]MAAM Sim B-25 Mitchell[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Alphasim B-24 Liberator or B-17[/FONT]


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]There are also a lot of free aircraft to be had, e.g. a very nice H6K Mavis, a Mitsubishi Claude, Grumman Wildcats / FM2, Kingfisher and Grumman Duck, and so on.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Unfortunatly a decent P39 Airacobra is nowhere out there…[/FONT]


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]I left Vella Lavella / Barakoma out, because Jim Dhaenens did a great job of constructing this already. It can be downloaded from [/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif]http://www.simviation.com[/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif] et al. See http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php?31504-Barakoma-Released .[/FONT]


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]You might want to download the FSX WW2 aircraft carrier group, which also comes with a nice FM2 (GM built F4F Wildcat). Historically it is dated after September 1943, especially the camouflage used later in the war, but it still fits nicely into the scenery and gives the opportunity of Coral Sea carrier ops.[/FONT]


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Special Scenery[/FONT]


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Thanks to the outstanding work of Justin Taylan from [/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif]http://www.pacificwrecks.org[/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif], I was able to place all the important and still visible shipwrecks and even some aircraft wrecks [/FONT]


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Airports or Seaplane bases - Status[/FONT]

The airfields have tower frequencies, prominent ones have NDB transmitters, and static planes in revetments and vehicles as well as other contemporary objects. They are designed after original maps and photographs of late 1943.
already completed:

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Name Location [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Bomber 1 / Henderson [/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Field Guadalcanal [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Bomber 2 / Carney Field Guadalcanal[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Bomber 3 / Koli Field[/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif] Guadalcanal[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Crash Strip Guadalcanal none[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Fighter 1 / Lunga Field Guadalcanal[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Fighter 2 / Kukum Field Guadalcanal[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]*[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Renard[/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif] Field / South Field Russell Islands P38 and P39 bomber units[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Banika Field / North Field Russell Islands fighter units, F4U, F6, F4[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]*[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Segi Airfield[/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif] New Georgia fighter units[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Munda Airfield New Georgia fighter and bomber units [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Ondonga Airfield [/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif]New Georgia fighter units, P40, RNZAF[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]*[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Vila Airfield Kolombangara no[/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif]t used, destroyed [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]*[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Gizo Airstrip[/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif] Gizo not used until after the war
Gizo seaplane base Gizo USN PBYs[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]*
[/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Barakoma Airfield Vella Lavella F4U, F6F USMC, USN[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]*[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Ballale Airfield [/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Ballale Japanese Navy[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]*[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Kahili Airfield Bougainville Japanese Navy
[/FONT]
*

These are left to be completed:


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Tulagi Seaplane Base[/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif] - Florida Islands - ex Japanese, small RNZAF base[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Halavo Seaplane Base - [/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Florida Islands - RAAF, USN, RNZAF PBYs[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]*
Rekata Seaplane Base - San Cristobal - Japanese Navy
[/FONT][FONT=Arial, sans-serif]* [/FONT]
Tonolei Harbour - Bougainville - Japanese navy / seaplanes
*

Emergency Strip - Guadalcanal - n/a none

Seaplane Base - Russell Islands - small PBY base, and ferry traffic


Other work to be done:

- I need to populate the airfileds - this is step 2 in my workflow

- Ive never programmed AI traffic, so I have to do some learning on that part
- I've never designed scenery objects... I will have to learn how to design and texture 3d objects
- I need to gain some knowledge on how to define landclasses and redesign shorelines or build small islands and such. There is much to be done here.
- I want to build a "destruction library" that will include bomb craters, destroyed planes and other equipment or scenery to populate the airfields with
- I want to build "used look library" to make the airfields more lively (oil stains, sand heaps, wheel marks etc)

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]AI traffic[/FONT]


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]I will include traffic at many airfields (CAP combat air patrols), as well as long distance patrols or other missions. You will see PBYs patrolling the coasts of the islands, and Corsairs flying high altitude CAPs, as well as B-24s, B-25s or B-17s flying missions.[/FONT]


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]You will also see high speed torpedo boats on patrols, as well as Fletcher class destroyers and supply ships on their missions. Submarines and small ships will also be seen, this includes Japanese traffic![/FONT]
A landable aircraft carrier with destroyers will cruise between the islands of Vella Lavella and Kolombangara.
Japanese shipping will cruise around southern Bougainville and there will be some action around Tonolei harbour and Kahili.

I have one plea to make: if anyone knows a source were I can obtain some decent static or AI planes or ships of that era, please let me know.

Timeline:

I guess I need some 6 to 8 weeks to complete this project. I hope !

But now, here are some pictures of completed basic airfields.


Cheers,
Mark Schimmer
 
Oustanding work Mark, very impressive! one of my projects was to do some airfields like this also. I did a collection of WWII objects and scenery for the donationware corsair project here for FS9. It's been my intention to recompile them for FSX and do a series or WWII airfields also focusing on as realistic visual experience as possible since Combat really isn't an option, at least not with my knowledge. My first airport was Munda based of some good photoreal data (see below) and my plans for the area was to redraw all the islands to more correct and realistic.

It's very obvious you have much more data (and time, LOL) to work with and your package is much more accurate than what mine would have been, well done!! I look forward to enjoying your work, it looks great!

Landclass is a easy fix, stiz has a good change in the library here that makes the Solomons more jungle.

View attachment 739
 
good work so far, and I look forward to giving this area a buzz when ready. hope you can get some sleep over the next 2 months.

good luck and thanks
MC
 
Thanks guys.
I have a 15 month old baby here, so I only have a time slot around midnight to work on it for an hour or so, but I am progressing quite well now.

Michael, you mentioned the Landclass from "stiz" - you know where it is to be had? I'd like to try it.
I tried to alter the LC myself with Sbuilderx, but I had no luck on the first try. How would you do it? I also like the image you have attached to your post. Amazing! That looks almost real! I also wanted to use photoreal textures, but I could not find any decent ones. Besides that, I would have to regress their appearance to 1943.

Cheers,
Mark
 
Hi Mark, belated congrats on the baby!
I just realized the library is still offline because of the server change so I can't direct you to the landclass file, BUT doing it in SBuilder is really easy. basically there is the landclass button at the top and when you click it, you get the menu for the different types of landclass and next to that is the menu for how large an area you want when you click the screen to place it.

As for the photoreal parts, yes, finding early 1942 imagery is the key, but there is a work around. basically it involves finding the spot you want the field to be, doing a high res sat image for that spot, doesn't matter what the image is, the key is to make a blank template for it at a good resolution. Then you open up that BMP and make it all sand/dirt. Then take a copy of that image and draw your runway/taxiway outlines on it with some blending on the edges, make them pure white and the background pure black and use this as your BLEND. This way when you run it all thru resample, and place the BGL in the sim, you will have the blended sand runways only on top of whatever landclass you use, it works quite well and was the method I was using. It's very similar to the technique the maskrider sceneries used in CFS2, just higher resolution and detail. The best benefit from this method over just placing landclass is you don't get the sharp lines and you control the textures. PM me if want to try it out and need help.

I took a second and did a quick coverage of the islands in tropical foliage landclass, should give you a good canvas for your work., took all of a minute, let me know if this works for you.
 
Michael,

thanks for that LC correction, it really puts that landscape into the right appeal!! When I loaded Kukum airfield on Guadacanal, my first thought was "thank god, Honiara is gone!!". I hope, no one from there reads this.

But unfortunatly, the new LC file also draws autogen trees (beautiful rainforest trees, I have to admit) over the new airfields. I placed the bgl file in a seperate directory structure and put it under a lower priority than my scenery. I thought that would put my "exclude autogen" - polygons into effect, but, alas, not so. I've got to find out what is the cause of this now.
I thought I knew the rope about that...


Cheers,
Mark
 
@ Mudmarine:

this is what the scanerio will be, see attachment and the line at Sept 25, 1943.

What's the deal about 1942? Which event are you refering to?


Regards,
Mark
 
We should have some carrier AI to go along with this. Any suggestions for timetables and routes?
 
A couple of years ago we had a period aircraft "slot race" from Espirtu Santo to Rabul, stopping at all of the salient airfields. A lot of fun, will have to do it again with all of the new planes available.

Cheers: T
 
We should have some carrier AI to go along with this.
Click to expand...

David, I was hoping you would come in on this thread! Your carrier tracks are just what the Solomons needs in FSX. Would have thought US carrier battle groups to the northeast and south of the archipelago. IJN destoyers coming up (or down from the northwest i.e. Rabaul toward Guadalcanal) in the Slot at night would not be historically inaccurate, i.e. the famed Tokyo Express and Ironbottom Sound where there were many surface battles.

Re ships, I can and I assume others can probably swap ship models or one's choice in and out of your track cfg's. It is a shame that "USIO's" great Japanese ships (CFS2 based models) do not appear to work in FSX. Also, while there are a few period carriers, destroyers and a battleship available (go to FS Shipyards etc), there aren't any good USN cruisers - yet - as far as I know.

Regards

expat
 
Very interesting concept, Mark. I am originally from Rabaul so am very keen on seeing how the project pans out. If you like, I can contribute a few of my 3d military-themed objects to your project. Here are pics of some objects which might be of worth.

Let me know.

Graham
 
This is awesome. I'ld wish someone would add some FSX Missions to complete the whole package.

Fantastic work!! Keep'em coming

Cheers
Martin
 
wasnt able to read through the entire thread because if i dont get this plane done your all gonna really hate me, BUT... since someone is doing the solomons, is there anyone who might be interested at all in doing the PT base that was located on an island on the north side of rendova?? It was John Kennedys base..
Thanks..
 
Warchild,

that PT base is a must :) It is on Bou island.

I want to concentrate on the airfields and seaplane bases though. If anyone wants to jump in and design the PT or other navy bases or harbours, that would be fine! There come to mind:

- Tulagi harbor
- Makambo (Tulagi) PT boat base
- Yellow Beach / Wernham Cove PT base on Banika
- Todd City USN base on Lumbaria Island (near Rendova harbour)
- Lunga point anchorage on Guadalcanal

I also like the idea of carrier AI traffic !

Right now I'm designing the Havalo Seaplane base on the Florida Islands, but I ran into some problems there. The coastlines are horrible, and two important islands are missing in the bay. Oh well...

@ Wantok: pm sent.


Cheers,
Mark
 
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